Knowing the dangers of the Internet
Just as in virtually all other aspects of life, there are persons who will use the
Internet as a means to pursue criminal enterprise, some of which may be personally
hazardous to other users. Our purpose in presenting this information is to make users
aware of the possibility of criminal application and to foster the same type of healthy
caution which we encourage all citizens to observe in their daily lives.

The Internet is a venue through which
people otherwise extraordinarily distant and diverse may communicate with convenience.
"Meeting" people on the Internet as correspondents is very easy; discerning any
real information about these new acquaintances is more difficult.

Whether you are meeting people through HTML/VRML links, MOO/MUSH/MUD sites, commercial
dial-up services, commercial or free chat lines, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels,
online dating services, newsgroups, or in other ways, you should be aware of the possible
dangers of interaction when it turns in a personal direction.

While danger from such links may not be
readily apparent, consider that the persons with whom you are communicating:

May not be anything like they describe themselves, and may not
even be the gender they claim.

May not be providing their real name or personal information,
and may be using someone else's account or even a "hacked" account.

May not be located where they say; the individual whom you
believe to be on the other side of the country or overseas may be two blocks away.

Depending upon how you connect, your
communication with a perfectly legitimate person may be seen or intercepted by a third
party with much different motives.

Report ProblemsIf you experience problems when
communicating on the net, especially conduct or language which you find threatening or
offensive, contact the service provider, whether commercial or non-profit. Copy any
contact information you have on the problem person, including email or other
account/name/address information obtained (including the "finger" or other
"who is" information your connection client may be able to provide).

Most commercial service providers will furnish written instructions for reporting this
type of problem. On the IRC, you can report the problem to your "OP" or to one
of the OP channels. If you cannot get the provider to correct the problem or intervene
satisfactorily, consider changing to another provider who will deal effectively with such
matters.

Be aware of how to use the "twit-list"
feature of your mail, chat or other connectivity software. Many mail browsers and IRC
programs allow you to simply filter out mail or messages from a list of users you
specify (often referred to as a "twit list"). They can talk, but
you don't have to listen.

Tips For Your Safety
Here are some basic personal safety tips you should consider whenever participating in
Internet communication, particularly of a personal nature:

Avoid giving out personal information such as your home address or
telephone number to people you meet on the net; not everyone is what they seem. There are
predators out there, but they won't look like wolves; they'll be disguised as sheep.

Exercise caution when agreeing to meet anyone in person whom you've
met on the net. Before you arrange any such meeting, at least try to address the
following:

Can you verify, through a third party whom you know and trust, the
true identity of this person?

Is there a way to verify the information provided by this person?

Practice safe net; Insist that someone you've met on the net provide a dependable
means for reference-checking before you consider meeting in person?

Predators on the net thrive on the anonymity of the interface. Find a way to positively
identify your potential romantic partner before you allow a meeting. Where do they
work? Can you call them at work? Where do they live and what is their telephone number?

If you choose to arrange a meeting, make it on YOUR terms:

Meet in as public a place as possible.

Arrange your own transportation to and from the meeting.

Bring a friend along for security; consider a "double-date"
the first time.

Set your conditions for the encounter, and don't let your new friend
change them.

Stay near other people and in lighted areas throughout the meeting.

If things go awry, can you positively identify the person to the
police?

Limit meetings to public places until you are comfortable with the other person and
certain of who they are what they want from the relationship.

The net is very much like your community; the majority of the population are good people
who do their best to obey the rules and behave responsibly. But, also very much as
in your community, there are potential offenders mixed in the population. Observe the same
precautions on the net you do in everyday life; be aware of the possibilities, and take
appropriate steps to avoid situations you know are dangerous.

As you seek friends, or romance, on the net, good luck! But let's be careful out there,
okay?

A special note about children and the net:If you have young children in the
household, and dial-up access to commercial on-line or university-provided Internet
services, unsupervised use should not be permitted.

Younger children do not have the sophistication and experience which adults use to
recognize potential dangers in email/chat connections. Even though it may make use less
convenient, consider using a special boot disk to access dial-up service, a
password-protected batch-file, a locking program on the Windows icon, or other means to
insure limited access.

Some commerical online providers have features that allow parents to limit a child's
access, but it is not an automatic service - you must request the limiting option be
activated.

Take positive parental control over your child's access to on-line
services!